Yankees Haven't Won Any Thing Yet

This has been one terrific postseason run by the Yankees so far.

They took care of the Twins with ease, and defeated the Angels, the team they have had the most difficulty beating over the past 10 years, in six games.

The Bronx Bombers have been led by a resurgent Alex Rodriguez, who has quieted the critics who said he can’t do it in the clutch, along with the usual suspects, such as Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. There were questions about C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and their lack of postseason credentials, but they have delivered as well.

All of which is great for Yankees fans. There is one other sobering thought, however, and that is this: the Yankees haven’t won any thing yet.

For all the chest-thumping and giddiness that has gone on in New York since beating the Angels to win the American League pennant, the truth of the matter is that the Yankees were expected to get this far. Heck, they are expected to win the World Series.

It will not be easy. When the Yankees meet the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series tonight, they will be looking at a team that can match them in a lot of areas.

The Phillies can hit, can hit for power, and have a strong starting rotation and a decent bullpen. The weak link this season has been closer Brad Lidge, who has turned it around during the postseason. The Phillies also have something the Yankees do not, and that’s team speed. Any one of their top three batters – Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Chase Utley – is a threat to steal a base.

The Yankees know this, of course, and aren’t going to say any thing to get Philadelphia fired up. In the button-down world of the Pinstripes, disrespecting an opponent is never in vogue. The Yankees would never stand for somebody like the Phils’ Rollins, who chirped that the Phillies would win the Series in five games.

“He’s been Nostradamus, that’s what I heard,’’ Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said. “He’s been (making) a lot of good predictions, so we’ve got to take that away from him.”

For the Yankees to win their first World Series since 2000 – really, it has been that long – they will need Rodriguez to deliver in the clutch. He has hit .438 during the playoffs with five home runs and 12 RBIs. He helped pick up an offense that struggled otherwise, as Mark Teixeira (.205, 5 RBIs), Robinson Cano (.229, five RBIs) and Johnny Damon (.238, 5 RBIs) have all struggled so far. The Yankees need A-Rod to continue his hot October run.

Just as important, the Yankees need to slow down the Phillies’ offense. Ryan Howard (.355, 2 home runs, 14 RBIs) has been Rodriguez’s peer in the postseason, and Utley, Carlos Ruiz and Victorino all have hit better than .300 this October.

It promises to be an exciting World Series, and many people consider the Yankees the favorite. If they do win their 27th World Series, then truly a celebration will be in order. But for now, the Bronx Bombers are still short of the goal that they, and their fans, have set.

Posada Puts Teammates in Jeopardy

The Yankees have shown a fighting spirit this season, winning 47 games in come-from-behind fashion on their way to the best record in the Major Leagues.

But last night’s brawl against the Toronto Blue Jays was a lose-lose proposition for the Yankees, and it never should have occurred. It was a virtual Fight Night in the Bronx.

After two Blue Jays were plunked earlier in the game, Toronto reliever Jesse Carlson threw a pitch behind Jorge Posada while the Yankees catcher was batting in the eighth inning of Toronto’s 10-4 victory. Posada eventually got on base and came around to score. Upon crossing home plate, he threw a forearm to Carlson, who was backing up on the play. That touched the bench-clearing melee.

Posada is a team leader, but he is also a hot-head whose temper has cost the team before. Fortunately for the Yankees, there doesn’t seem to be any injuries associated with Tuesday’s brawl. With the playoffs just a few weeks away, Posada put his team in a dangerous spot to have a player get injured in touching off the brawl.

“I told them, there's a lot at stake here and we can't afford to get anyone hurt or get anyone suspended," manager Joe Girardi said. "In the heat of the moment, sometimes we get caught up. We make decisions that maybe we wouldn't have made if we weren't in the heat of the moment. It's an ugly incident that probably shouldn't have happened."

Girardi is correct there. The brawl shouldn’t have happened, and Posada was the player at fault. Home plate umpire Jim Joyce called Posada’s forearm to Carlson “a cheap shot” and immediately ejected Posada.

A large welt decorated Carlson’s forehead after the brawl, and Girardi had a small bruise under his left eye and a cut on his left ear. Posada’s actions placed his teammates in jeopardy of being injured against a team that can’t wait for the season to end. It makes no sense.

“I don't know if that was too smart, because they certainly have a lot more to lose than we do," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said in The Daily News. "They're going to the playoffs and maybe the World Series, and you can get guys hurt out there.”

It’s no surprise that Posada would be the player to start the brawl, but the veteran catcher has to be smarter than that. Not only is there a risk of injury, but there could also be suspensions. For a team that is starving to get back to the World Series, Posada simply can’t take the chance to touch off a brawl against a team that has nothing to play for.

It didn’t need to happen. Posada should have returned to the dugout and let the incident go. He is fortunate neither he nor his teammates were seriously injured, but with so much at stake, the veteran catcher simply needs to be smarter in these situations.